Scrubbed: NASA Calls Off Artemis I Launch Today After Engine Issues

New Delhi: NASA on Monday called off the launch of Artemis I from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida after engineers detected a “conditioning” issue with one of the four engines of the rocket’s main stage.

The engine “didn’t get the high accuracy temperature that they were looking for,” launch control communicator Derrol Nail said, adding that the rocket would remain fuelled on launchpad 39B while engineers gathered data.

All four R-25 engines from the rocket’s core stage needed to be “conditioned” with cryogenic propellant to bring them up to the correct temperature for launch, but one of the four failed to respond as NASA expected.

The next earliest opportunity to launch again is on September 2. “We must wait to see what shakes out from their test data they are currently gathering now, and a decision will be made by the launch team about where to from here,” said Nail.

Earlier on Monday, the countdown clock was put on hold at T-40 minutes.